United States Drug Enforcement Administration

CONCORD, NH – DEA New England Division Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle and United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced that Steven Guerrero, 19, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 69 months in prison, and Julio Saldana, 19, also of Lawrence, was sentenced to 138 months in prison for participating in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.

According to court documents and statements made in court, a drug trafficking organization that authorities allege was led by Sergio Martinez, employed Steven Guerrero, Julio Saldana, and others to sell fentanyl to customers from various New England States, including New Hampshire.  On each day that the defendants worked, the Martinez organization provided them with at least one 200-gram bag of fentanyl and expected them to sell it and return approximately $6,000 in proceeds. While working for the Martinez organization, Saldana was robbed by a customer and thereafter acquired a firearm for his protection. On March 20, 2019, Saldana got in an altercation with rival gang members which ultimately resulted in a shooting. When the defendant was arrested on charges related to the shooting, officers recovered approximately 160 grams of fentanyl from his pocket. 

Guerrero and Saldana both previously pleaded guilty on December 27, 2018.

“Fentanyl is causing tremendous damage to New Hampshire,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle.  “Let these sentences be a warning to those traffickers who are coming from out of state to distribute this poison in order to profit and destroy people’s lives. DEA’s top priority is combatting the opioid epidemic by working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners.”

“Fentanyl trafficking has had a terrible impact on the quality of life for many New Hampshire citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.  “In order to stop the transportation and sale of this deadly drug, we coordinate with all of our law enforcement partners to identify, prosecute, and incarcerate those who are responsible for its distribution. Traffickers should expect to be caught, prosecuted, and incarcerated on long prison terms.”

The case was a collaborative investigation that involved the DEA, New Hampshire State Police, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Nashua Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, Essex County District Attorney’s Office, Internal Revenue Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, United States Customs and Border Protection Boston Field Office, United States Marshals Service, United States Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Manchester Police Department, Lisbon Police Department, Littleton Police Department, Seabrook Police Department, Haverhill Police Department, Methuen Police Department, Lowell Police Department, and the Maine State Police.